The Black Tomb
by S-Blood-M-Traitor-O
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts to find the tomb of the one he fought so hard to kill...  Oneshot. 3


It had been years since he had been back to the school. Years since he had looked upon Dumbledore's tomb. Too long, thought Harry Potter as he looked over the lake, blackening in the setting sun. The giant squid raised a slithering tentacle out of the lake and swayed around. Harry laughed and kept walking. The grounds looked as spic and span as ever. Hagrid, in his old age had not at all slacked off on his work. It felt good to be here…good to set foot once again in his childhood home; Hogwarts. Harry continued past the lake and near the Forbidden Forest looming in the distance.

Dumbledore's tomb had been immaculately preserved. Harry imagined the house elves had been working night and day to keep the vines and mosses from creeping upon the tomb of Hogwarts' former headmaster. It reminded Harry of everything that had happened so many years ago. Harry had named his eldest child after Albus Dumbledore and Harry bowed his head in reverence. But this was not what Harry was looking for. No. Something else had been drawing at his mind for all these years.

Harry kept walking past the white marble tomb and headed towards the Forbidden Forest. The forest itself had grown even thicker or perhaps it had always been that way and he had just been away for so long. It was strange indeed, he thought to himself, that he should send every one of his children there and never come back to admire the place. The memories of that final duel…why it was in this very forest that he, Harry, had died, and yet lived. He had been the ultimate victor. He had saved the wizarding world. There was not one person in their society that did not know his name. So why should he hesitate from looking back on his old home? Was it because he was afraid? Afraid of all the questions and the attention? Maybe that's it, Harry thought as he began to trudge through the brambles and thorns lining the beaten path through the forest. Everything was growing darker in the approaching twilight, and Harry took a turn off the path into the thick mazelike trees. Students surely never went here, and they shouldn't. Harry drew his cloak around himself and looked around.

"Where have they put it?" he wondered aloud. Harry himself had figured that Hogwarts was the home of the Dark Lord's tomb. Did he actually want to find it? Yes. He had no choice. Harry Potter had to know. And then he saw it.

A curious beam of light was coming in through the trees up ahead. It was shining on a small clearing that you would have never seen if you stuck to the path.

Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing. He walked around stomping his feet and listening…then he felt it. A hollow thud beneath his feet. Harry bent down and brushed a thick layer of dirt and leaves off of a stone in the ground. It was no ordinary stone, Harry soon realized. It was yet another tomb. It was built into the ground unlike Dumbledore's and instead of white; it was made of the blackest marble. It was very plain, but elegant. The engravings on it were done in an odd sort of silvery script that, although it had been covered by dirt, shone as brightly as the moon. The silvery shining letters twisted themselves into the name,

Tom Marvolo Riddle

Harry ran his fingers on the name and saw that beneath it was the small phrase

"Death is conquered"

The Dark Lord lay here. Of course since that fateful night, Harry had always wondered what they had done with the body of Tom Riddle. The minister of Magic had never revealed the location. Maybe he never knew. Maybe he had never wanted to know. But Harry had wanted to know. Who had buried him? When? His servants perhaps? Lucius Malfoy? No. That didn't seem possible. After Voldemort's fall every last one of the Death Eaters (the ones that still lived) had turned themselves in and gone to Azkaban or gone into hiding. So who had buried the Dark Lord? Harry wondered. Then he stood. A chilly wind had begun to blow and Harry shivered.

* * *

><p>Harry closed his eyes against the hot tears that would not stop coming. This was enough. Those days were over. Voldemort was gone, and the people he killed were avenged. Besides, Harry thought, it's not as if I'll never see them again. Harry glanced at his watch. It was getting late. He needed to get back home to Ginny and his children. Lily would want to tell him all about her first day on her new broomstick and the boys would want him to join in on a game of Wizard's Chess or Gobstones. Yes he had to get home. But as he walked out of the forest, he noticed a light on in Hagrid's cabin. Harry smiled to himself. He could pass up another opportunity to talk to his biggest friend.<p>

He knocked twice on the door. Great booming barks responded and the familiar voice said "Back, Fang, Back! Hold on yeh dirty old coot I'm coming as fast as I can!" The door opened a crack and Hagrid's great ruddy face appeared in the gap. His eyes widened.

"Harry?" he croaked. "It can't be!" Hagrid flung the door wide open and grabbed Harry in a bone breaking hug.

Harry nearly couldn't speak, but managed to gasp "Yes Hagrid, it's me!" Hagrid let go of him and started talking very fast.

"All these years Harry! I kep tellin' people yeh'd be back but I hadn't seen yeh for so long I thought yeh'd forgotten me!" He started bustling around the small cabin rummaging around for a teapot. "D'yeh wan some tea?"

Harry sighed and rubbed his neck where Hagrid had nearly choked him.

"Yes, Hagrid, my old friend. That would be wonderful." Harry looked at Hagrid for the first time since he had arrived. Hagrid had indeed grown older. The lines on his face were deeper and more pronounced. His great shaggy head of hair and beard was streaked with white making him look a bit like a young Santa Claus. He was as large as ever, but moved a bit slower than Harry had remembered. However, his eyes still sparkled with the same energy Harry always knew. Harry noticed that Hagrid had a very obvious limp on his left leg. Hagrid seemed to have noticed what Harry was staring at.

"Ah yeah I got a bad bite off an acromantula a few years ago in the forest. I was looking for a unicorn herd someone said they saw. And well…" he trailed off laughing. That's what happens when you're not looking where you're going." Hagrid handed Harry a cup of tea.

"How have yeh been, Harry." He asked honestly. Harry shrugged and said,

"Oh, busy I suppose. The kids are fine, Ginny's fine. The Ministry's hopping mad as usual."

"I always knew yeh'd become an Auror, Harry. Yeh always had what it takes an' everyone doubtin' yeh an' all."

"Ah, well. I would think you'd be more surprised that a woman became the Minister of Magic."

"Well tha' too." Said Hagrid. "But ol' Minerva McGonagall is the best choice if anyone is."

"Can't argue with you there, Hagrid. I personally think her decisions concerning House Elf Rights are making a huge impression." Harry took a sip of his tea which was watery, but he drank it anyway. Part of him wanted to tell Hagrid about the tomb in the woods. Maybe Hagrid would want to know. But maybe for Hagrid the grief was still too near, and so Harry remained silent. After a moment, he said,

"It really is good to see you again, Hagrid. How have things been here?"

"Ah they've been all right. I thought you were Argus Filch comin' around to complain about something or other. He's been comin' here a lot lately givin' me grief about my creatures."

"Why's that?"

Hagrid looked uncomfortable. "Well, uh…" he shifted his weight. "He's been getting' some reports that I've been setting some nifflers in the school. O' course I haven't." he added earnestly. "but they've been getting at some of the trophies 'cuz they're all shiny and whatnot. So I've been charming them to go after only dull metal instead…yeh know…to help people find things that need polishing, and….well…one of 'em went for Filch's gold tooth…" Hagrid trailed off again. He looked serious but Harry simply couldn't restrain himself from laughing. Then Hagrid joined in and for a while they couldn't stop. When they finally ceased, Hagrid said,

"Yeh know, I see yer son around here all the time. James is a right interesting lad. In fact he seems very fond of my subject…kinda like you always were eh?" As Hagrid took another gulp of tea, Harry smirked. He had never actually liked Care of Magical Creatures at all. He only took it to make Hagrid feel good as a professor.

"Yes, just like me Hagrid. Any other familiar names popping up?" Hagrid scratched his chin.

"Yeah, now that yeh mention it. There's Iris Longbottom, Neville's daughter o' course, and Xeno Thomas-Lovegood Jr. Crikey he's a strange one. A few others as well….let's see here…well Hugo and Rose Weasley. An' oh yeah, little Scorpius Malfoy. Spittin' image of his father, Harry."

"Yes I've seen him." Laughed Harry.

"So why have yeh been away so long, Harry?" asked Hagrid. I've been looking forward to seeing you around a lot more. It's been…been…well…"

"Fifteen years, Hagrid." Said Harry looking off into the distance beyond the lake. "And I have missed it. But I'll come back a bit more now when I have the time." Harry looked at his watch for a second time. It was nearly ten o' clock.

"I'm sorry, Hagrid but I really do need to be going now." Said Harry rising from his chair. "I have very little quality time to be with my family as it is and now that the school year's almost in session; I want to spend as much time as I can with them."

"Certainly, Harry." said Hagrid beaming. "Tell Ginny I say hello and the kids. James will be what a fourth year?"

"Hard to believe I know!" said Harry. "Lily will be starting next year and Albus is a second year this year."

"I'll look forward to seeing them coming back." Said Hagrid with a smile. "Good-bye, Harry, and good luck."

"Thanks Hagrid" said Harry giving Hagrid one more crunching hug. "If you ever are free," he added. "We'd love to have you for Christmas at Grimmauld Place. Ginny and I always have a big Christmas Party. The Shacklebolts, the Longbottoms, the Weasleys, the Lovegoods, the Grangers, the Finnigans, Aberforth and Slughorn usually pop in as well as McGonagall, Andromeda and Teddy, and anyone who wants to come. It's a good time to…remember." Harry broke off thinking of those who would not be there. "So! He said shaking Hagrid's hand one final time. "We'll see you there?"

"Wouldn't miss it, Harry" said Hagrid and Harry shut the door behind him. Night had fallen and dim lights of the empty castle were slowly going out. A pair of thestrals was playing in the moonlight. The moon was full tonight and rose high and bright against the stars.

"Won't Andromeda be in for it tonight." Murmured Harry. "Teddy will be positively animal with the full moon." Then he glanced once more at the Forbidden Forest and the dark tomb that lay inside, and once more at the white one glowing not far from him. Then Harry did something even he couldn't explain. He nodded his head to both tombs, pulled his cloak around him, and apparated back to his family where Ginny greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and his children played Quidditch in the back yard. Harry ate a quiet dinner with his wife and they talked about everything that had gone on that day.

Afterward, Ginny fell asleep on the sofa in front of the fire and Harry kissed her gently. He pulled the blanket of the sofa over her and smiled. He looked at Pigwidgeon who was twittering around loudly and muttered "silencio" the small owl fell silent. Harry took out a heap of paperwork and started to fill it out when he heard the shouts of Lily, James, and Albus from the homemade Quidditch pitch outside. Harry closed his briefcase and headed for the doorway where his old Firebolt was. Perhaps he did have time for one game of Quidditch with his children before the school year started.


End file.
